Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader and a Cincinnati Red great, says he is optimistic that he could have his lifetime ban from MLB lifted

Written by

Bob Nightengale
USA Today

Pete Rose's mind was spinning, his imagination unchecked, just hours before he stepped onto the field Monday night as manager for the first time in 25 years.

Sure, it was nothing more than a publicity stunt, serving as the unofficial manager of the Bridgeport (Conn.) Bluefish, of the Independent Atlantic League. Rose stood in the third-base coach's box, so the fans could see him, instead of actually managing the team on the bench.

"Where I really want to be is on the bench," Rose said. "That's where I belong. Really, where I belong is back in baseball. I still believe it can happen.'" ...